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Acne treatments have come a long, long way since my youth. When I was battling hormonal acne as a teen in the 2000s, my options were limited to super-concentrated three-step formulas (I won’t name names). These cook-your-own skin chemistry kits I purchased from late-night Nickolodean infomercials made me choose between cystic acne constellations all over my chin and cheeks or an almost blemish-free complexion plagued with open wounds, peeling, and redness courtesy of a daily overdose of benzoyl peroxide.
In my early twenties, my cystic acne settled somewhat, so I had graduated from aggressive anti-acne “solution” from my high school year, but I found myself with a new skincare woe to contend with: battling both monthly breakouts and increasingly prominent fine lines that were only exacerbated by overly drying, irritation-inducing acne treatments allegedly made for adult acne.
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Fast forward to 2024: Now, when I find myself with an occasional breakout, there are so much better options for adult acne that don’t rip my skin apart, strip it with overly harsh chemicals, and ultimately cause more wrinkles in the pursuit of clear skin. But even though we have made some sizable improvements in the space, I’ve never encountered a product like MARA’s new Clear Skin Mineral Milk.
This treatment is truly a first-of-its-kind, multi-tasking BHA serum designed to work with your skin instead of against it and to “heal your skin through hydration.” MARA founder Allison McNamara’s approach sounds like basic logic, but if you think about it, almost every single OTC and RX acne product on the market is formulated to fight your skin, causing it to freak out with dryness, tightness, redness, and compromised skin barriers that often take months to repair.
Unlike its anti-acne peers, MARA’s new treatment actually nourishes and hydrates the skin while targeting breakouts, congestion, and signs of aging like texture, pigmentation, and fine lines. As someone who tries new skincare products for a living, trust me when I say there is nothing like this on the market—a true industry disruptor that is going to be a routine-changer for those who suffer from chronic or occasional adult acne.
The hero ingredient in Clear Skin Mineral Milk is two percent salicylic acid (the highest you can go without a prescription), which penetrates deep into the pores to banish breakout-causing impurities while gently exfoliating dead skin cells and helping to prevent post-breakout scarring. The moisture-boosting milk is also supercharged with a slew of anti-aging ingredients to help reduce existing acne scars, including mandelic acid, plant oils, a mineral complex, niacinamide, and, of course, skin-clarifying and antioxidant-rich algae extracts to strengthen the skin barrier and counteract any potential irritation.
True to its name, the Clear Skin Mineral Milk feels soothing on the skin—the exact opposite of what you imagine texturally when you think of a blemish-banishing treatment. As a brand known for its premium oil-based formulas (especially its face and cleansing oils), McNamara stayed true to her roots, using an oil-in-emulsion base. If you’re not an oil person—you’ll still love this milky product. It feels hydrating—almost cooling—without being greasy and dries down to a soft, velvety finish on my skin. Honestly, even if you don’t suffer from frequent blemish constellations anymore like me, this sal acid elixir is still a go-to for keeping pores refined, dullness brightened, and your skin’s barrier fully hydrated and fortified.
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